In a rare gleam of light in a dismal publishing scene, the SF/Fantasy marketing is growing.
Science Fiction and Fantasy represent just 6% of the book publishing market, but is growing by almost 50% each year. Sales are forecast to reach nearly six hundred million dollars in 2011, despite the overall market decline.
Predictably, Amazon is jumping onto the bandwagon. The Kindle store at Amazon.com is offering a free subscription to the digest edition of that longstanding favorite, Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine. Kindle customers get access to all of the magazine's editorial content -- editor's recommendations, "Curiosities" (odd books of enduring interest), film reviews, book reviews, cartoons and humor, and "Coming Attractions" (highlights of each issue) -- along with one short story, all at no cost.
Customers can start reading the magazine today on their Kindle or free Kindle reading apps for Android, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.
Predictably also, Stephen King warmly recommends the move.
5 comments:
Science Fiction and Fantasy is quite a broad grouping. I suspect that the section contributing
most to this growth is the one known as "paranormal romance". Nothing at all wrong with that, of course! But I don't think it has a lot in common with the science fiction I used to devour in my teens.
Couldn't agree more, Shayne! While hunting the "just returned" trolley at the local library, I was amazed to see Harlequin-style massmarket paperbacks with the usual sweaty, heavy breathing jackets, advertized as "paranormal romance." Good lord, I thought.
Totally engrossed in your book. It stands a second reading very well indeed. More later.
OK -- back to your books, which I see are doing very well in the amazon.com ratings. It was a smart move, making the first one of the series free, as a teaser. I must get an eReader, as reading on PC isn't as easy.
Can I ask you some questions about your experience with smashwords? I'm curious, as you may have gathered, about design, and where the jacket comes from (I note on smashwords you do not have a jacket, but you do on amazon). And how do you get your books onto the Kindle site as well as the smashwords site?
Wait a little, and I'll start a discussion on ePublishing, and we can take it there.
Happy to answer! I'll look out for the discussion.
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